Iron post for



J..W. JENKINS.

IRON FENCE NST.

Patented Aug. 9, 1853.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN W. JENKINS. OF GREENPORT, NEW YORK.

IRON POST FOR FENCES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,921, dated August 9, 1853.

l To all @hom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. JENKINS, of the town of Greenport, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing Iron F ence-Posts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

To enable others to make and use my invention the following is the description of it and of the mode of constructing and of using it.

Figure l, of the drawings hereto attached and which form part of these specifications is a side or transverse view of my post one quarter its full size, the drawings being all one qua-rter the dimensions and pro-portions of the posts in all its parts. Fig. 2, is an edge view of the post, as it is supposed to stand in the fence, without the cross-piece. Fig. 3, are two views of the cross-piece or supporter showing how its extremities each side of the post are twisted.

a, a, a, a, a, are notches which may be cast in or on the edge of the post to support t-he wires of a wire fence.

b, Z), o, b, are mort-ises into which the boards are inserted at their ext-remities in building a board fence.

c, o, c, c, are flanges on the cross-piece and on the post to lock the cross-piece to the post, to which it is also riveted or screwed, and to steady it when set the flat ends of this crosspece resting in or upon the ground.

d, d, is the rib through the middle of the post, from the surface of the ground or the lower mortise-to the lower end of the postthis is for strengthening it.

e, e, e, is the lower extremity of the post, having the form of an arrow or spear head or nearly so.

f, f, f, &c., is a flange or band crossing the top and extending down both edges to strengthen it-this should extend to near the bottom of the post-something further than represented bv the model and drawings.

This post may be made of either wrought or cast iron-I usually construct them of cast iron about six feet in length, leaving four or four and a half feet out of the ground when set, before the ridge is made. The cross-piece Fig. 3, is a flat piece of iron either wrought or cast about sixteen inches long and three wide, and from to an inch thick having two anges, to lit the post, and is screwed or riveted to it. This crosspiece is iitted on and attached to the post about twenty inches above the lower extremity, and is twisted, so that the two extremities of the cross-piece from the sides of the post outward present their broad or flat sides to the earth and rest upon it are buried in it. The lower extremity of the post being formed as represented in Fig. l, facilitates the setting and prevents its being lifted by the frost. The boards can all be put in their place after the posts are set the same as bars in bar-posts and with no more trouble. They are made tight and kept rmly in their places by driving a small wooden wedge in between their tapping ends at the posts, without the use of a single nail, or one nail may be driven through the two lapping ends. Each end of the board being thus confined in the iron mortise of the post they cannot possibly warp or twist. In general no middle post or support is required. If the boards used should be unusually weak or thin a two inch lath or strip nailed across t-he middle of the panel and resting on the ground will serve to strengthen it. I find no necessity for this in the fences I have in use constructed as herein described. The kind of fence I prefer with these post-s is three boards high having an eighteen inch embankment above the cross-piece. This makes a cheap, strong and durable fence. The notches on the edge are intended for a wire fence, so that an ent-ire board or entire wire fence or one part board and part wire can be made. After the wire is tightened I key it in the notches with iron or wooden wedges or keys. If these posts are to be set in very stony land I use a flat iron bar to make the holes before driving the post. For a board fence it requires, after the first post, only one in every twelve feet,-for a wire fence, after the first, only one in abouttwenty feet. To set these posts safely and expeditiously I insert a hard wood block in the lower mortise and with a beetle or heavy hammer drive the post down until the crosspiece rests on the ground. Two men can easily set 200 of these posts per day. My posts I make about four inches wide at the ground or where the cross-piece is attached, tapering to about three at the top, and from to an inch thick. The notches for the wire may be made in the edge or in projections on the edge of the post.

Some of the advantages this post possesses over all others with which I am acquainted other durable pigment, particularly at and near the surface of the ground.

7hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The arrow headed or barbed bottom e, e, e, of the post in combination with the twisted cross-piece Fig. 3, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

JOHN V. J ENKINS.

Witnesses:

ABEL BULLoCK, JAY D. TEN BnoECK. 

